Chapter Text
I made it twenty-four hours before Romanoff decided to pay me a visit. I was minding my own business sitting in the lounge, curled up on the surprisingly comfortable sofa and staring blankly at one of Darcy’s tacky romance novels when the redhead sidled into the room and sat down opposite me.
I managed not to flinch, barely. I’d been waiting for her visit, but at least Pete got a full month before being dragged outside kicking and screaming.
I earmarked a random page and placed the book in my lap, crossing my legs primly as I waited for Romanoff to make her move.
“Who would have guessed it,” she remarked, looking me over in a way that made me feel like she was seizing me up for slaughter. “You clean up well, Tony.”
“Don’t I know it,” I said with a wink.
“How are you settling in?”
“Stupendously.”
Her full lips twitched up into a faint smile. “I’m going for a walk around the town. I thought you might like to join me?”
“I honestly can’t think of anything I’d like less. Thanks for the invite though,” I pressed my hands together in mock supplication. “Super appreciated.”
“You’re so welcome,” she said softly, watching me.
I waited for her to grab me, tensing, but she stayed in her chair, smiling serenely.
I released an exaggerated full-body shiver. “Gah. Not that this hasn’t been lovely but I really must be…well, not going, obviously. You lovely folks won’t let me leave.”
Romanoff’s expression was as flat as her scent. I breathed in, trying to gauge her emotions, but there was just…nothing.
She abruptly slapped her hands against her thighs and stood up. Despite myself, I couldn’t control the way the noise made me flinch. She smiled apologetically, although it was clear she did it to get a reaction. “Well, I guess I’ll get out of your hair. See you later, Tony.”
“Toodles,” I said brightly, waving as she left the room.
When I heard the front door close I l permitted myself the luxury of freaking the fuck out. I breathed deeply in and out of my nose, trying to regulate my breathing as my heart hammered frantically in my chest.
What the hell was she up to?
I got up and crossed the room to the window, peeling back the blinds to look outside. I immediately locked eyes with Steve and stumbled back with an embarrassing yelp, landing hard on my ass as I scrambled away from the window and hid behind the sofa.
Okay, that was fucking terrifying. How long had he been standing out there?
My panic started to mount. What if he was always lurking outside, just waiting for an opportunity to pounce. If I made a break for it, would that give him carte blanche to do whatever the hell he wanted?
“Fuck,” I whispered, leaning my back against the sofa as I pressed my hand against my chest. “Fuck, fuck.”
“What are we swearing about?” Peter asked, happily plopping down next to me and leaning against my shoulder.
I jumped again, before patting the kid a little absently on his arm. “I’m gonna have to put freakin’ bells on your clothes. Nothing much. Just checking out my stalker. No biggie.”
“Steve? He’s been out there a lot lately.”
Of course he was.
“And you didn’t think to tell me?”
The kid shrugged. “They get like that. This guy, Brock. He used to stand out there for hours, staring at my bedroom window.”
“Used to?”
“The council said he had to stop. He’s older than I am. They said he had to wait until I was eighteen before he partitioned them for courting rights.”
“Ewww,” I said, which didn’t sum up how completely fucked up that sounded. “How old is he?”
“Like thirty.”
“Double eww.”
The kid had to be seventeen at the most. What sort of monster stalked a goddamn child?
“So that’s how they like to show us their interest? They stand outside the house and they spy on us? Whatever the hell happened to Netflix and Chill.”
Peter stared blankly back at me.
“Uh, dinner and and a movie?” I tried. After a beat, I started rambling. “Hooking up, dancing the lambada… hanky-panky?”
The kid sputtered, growing red but laughing. Cool, I had the emotional maturity of a literal child
“Actually, never mind what I just said. I forgot we were in a PG-13 conversation for a second,” I, ruffled his hair. “So this Brock guy. He’s off the scene?”
Pete stiffened. “For now. Until I turn eighteen at least.”
That was so fucking wrong.
“Is there anyone your own age you like?”
“There’s a girl. Her name’s MJ.”
I felt a smile twitch across my lips. “Ohhh, MJ. Sounds magical.”
Peter’s expression turned wistful. “She’s pretty amazing.”
“So what’s the problem?”
Peter shrugged. “She’s a beta. It wouldn’t work.”
“Betas and omegas are just as compatible as any other dynamic. Why wouldn’t it work?”
“It’s harder to conceive with a female beta and a male omega,” he said, sounding like he was quoting someone else. “The town wouldn’t let us take the risk.”
Of course they wouldn’t. The discrimination and prejudice based on biological roles in their new society was sickeningly unfair. “I’m sorry kid,” I said, unable to offer anything more than my sympathy. “That sucks.”
“Yeah,” Peter agreed softly. “It kinda does.”
After a moment, Peter spoke up again, his voice tinged with resignation. "Maybe things will change in the future."
Except the alphas held all the power and they were unlikely to give it up in favour of equality. I nodded anyway, wishing there was something I could do to help.
Which was a joke. I couldn’t even help myself.
“Romanoff just came to visit me,” I said eventually, purposefully changing the subject.
“I saw. I was kinda expecting her to drag you outside. I heard the council is worried about you - they think you might cause trouble.”
Interesting and not entirely unfounded
“Any idea why she’s being so cordial?”
“You’re still new. She probably doesn’t want to scare you,” Peter said with a small shrug. “She’s not a bad person. A little scary, but she’s never hurt any of us, and she’s not interested in us in…that way.”
“Good to know,” I said, sitting back. “She’s still totally terrifying though. Am I right?”
“Oh yeah,” Peter agreed, grinning. “She’s pretty scary, alright.”